Getting the whole family together for photographs sounds simple enough… until you realise you’re trying to organise grandparents, adult children, partners, teenagers, toddlers and probably at least one person who is ALWAYS late.
Extended family photography sessions do take a little more planning than a regular family session, but they are also some of the most special sessions I photograph.
Quite often, the grandparents are the reason everyone is getting together in the first place. You want that photograph of the entire family, but you also want Nanny with all her grandchildren, the cousins together, each individual family and all those smaller combinations that become incredibly important over time.
After almost twenty years of photographing families in Perth, these are the things I think make the biggest difference when planning an extended family photoshoot.
Think About the Little Kids When Choosing the Time of Year
If your extended family includes toddlers or young children, think carefully about when you book your session.
Spring is one of my favourite times for extended family photography in Perth because it’s generally not too hot and sunset isn’t ridiculously late.
Trying to photograph a two-year-old at 7pm when they’re usually getting ready for bed isn’t fun for them, their parents or anyone else involved.
The location makes a difference too. Somewhere beautiful isn’t necessarily the right location if it doesn’t suit the people we’re photographing.
If you’re not sure where to go, I’ve put together my guide to the 12 Best Family Photography Locations in Perth, which will give you a good starting point.
Extended Family Sessions Need a Little More Time
A normal family photography session is generally around an hour, but once we get above seven people, I recommend allowing around 1.5 hours depending on the size of the family.
That doesn’t mean you’re all standing in front of my camera for 90 minutes!
People come in and out as we work through the different family combinations. Little kids can have a break, grandparents can sit down and nobody needs to be “on” for the entire session.
Having that extra time simply means we don’t have to rush.
If Family Is Travelling to Perth, Don’t Leave the Photos Until the Last Day
If part of your family is travelling to Perth, try to book your extended family photoshoot earlier in their visit rather than the day before they fly home.
It gives us a little breathing room if something completely unexpected happens.
And when I say unexpected, I mean a random case of chickenpox. Yes, that’s a true story. 😂
Perth weather can also have other ideas, kids get sick and life happens. If your session is booked early in the trip, we’ve hopefully got another day available to move things around rather than missing the opportunity altogether.
When you’ve finally managed to get the whole extended family in the same city at the same time, it’s worth giving yourself that little bit of backup.
Get the Important Photographs First
I always start with the photographs that matter most while everyone is fresh, the kids are still happy and nobody has disappeared to the toilet.
The big extended family photograph is usually one of the first things we do because it requires EVERYONE.
And here’s a tip from someone who has learnt this over many, many family sessions: if you have a family member who is always late, tell them an earlier time.
You know who they are. 😂
We don’t want 14 people standing around waiting for Uncle Dave while the three-year-old slowly loses the will to live.
Grandparents Are Usually the Stars of the Show
Let’s be honest, a lot of extended family photoshoots happen because someone wants beautiful photographs with Nanny and Pop.
And I completely understand why.
Along with the photograph of everyone together, I always make sure we capture the grandparents with their grandchildren, grandparents with their adult children and the smaller family groups that are important to you.
Those photographs become incredibly special as your family grows and changes.
Tell Me About Grandparents’ Mobility
This is really important.
Please tell me if a grandparent uses a walking aid, can’t walk long distances, struggles with uneven ground or simply needs somewhere they can sit.
I don’t care how spectacular a location looks at sunset; I’m not making Nanna or Oma walk 500 metres through soft sand to get there.
We choose the family photography location around the people we’re photographing.
Sometimes the easiest location ends up being the best location because everyone can actually relax and enjoy themselves.
And Yes… We Need to Talk About Toilets
Not glamorous. Very important.
Not every Perth family photography location has a toilet nearby, and when you’re bringing together young children, parents and grandparents, that matters.
There’s nothing quite like a five-year-old announcing they need the toilet RIGHT NOW when the nearest one is a ten-minute drive away.
Accessibility, parking and toilets are all things we’ll consider when choosing where to have your extended family photos.
Outfits Don’t Need to Become a Family Group Chat Nightmare
This is usually the part everyone starts stressing about.
Please don’t decide that everybody needs to wear jeans and a white shirt.
Instead, choose around three colours that work beautifully together and let each family choose their own outfits within that palette.
You might choose cream, soft blue and tan, for example. Everyone coordinates without looking like they’ve been issued a family uniform.
And yes, there will probably be a teenager who thinks the entire thing is deeply embarrassing.
Do your best.
If all else fails, pull out the “this is for Nanny” card. 😂
If clothing is already causing chaos in the family group chat, have a read of my What to Wear for Family Photos in Perth guide. It will make things much easier.
I Only Liaise With One Person
I learnt this one the hard way.
For an extended family photography session, I need ONE contact person.
One person books the session, communicates with me and gathers information from everyone else.
I don’t need six different family members messaging me about locations, clothing, times and who wants which photograph.
It gets confusing very quickly, particularly when everyone has slightly different ideas.
Choose your family organiser and let them be my person. Trust me, it makes the entire experience so much easier.
Work Out Your Must-Have Family Photographs Beforehand
Before your session, have a think about the photographs that really matter to you.
That might include:
- The whole extended family
- Grandparents with all the grandchildren
- Grandparents with their adult children
- Each individual family
- All the cousins together
- Siblings together
We’ll make sure those important family photographs happen first.
Then, once we’ve got everything we absolutely need, things can loosen up.
This is usually when someone says:
“Oh! Can I quickly get one with Mum and my girls?”
Absolutely.
That’s when we can add those extra combinations, have some fun and see what happens.
Once the Important Photos Are Done, We Can Have Some Fun
Extended family photography doesn’t need to mean lining everyone up and asking them to smile at me for an hour.
Once we’ve photographed the important combinations, we can relax.
The cousins can muck around. The grandparents can cuddle the kids. Siblings can give each other grief. We can walk, play and let everyone actually interact.
It’s the same approach I use in all my family photography sessions in Perth — I’ll give you direction when you need it, but I’m also looking for all the moments happening in between.
And if you’re worried about how the younger members of the family are going to handle the whole thing, I’ve also written a guide on how to prepare your kids for family photos.
Frequently Asked Questions About Extended Family Photography in Perth
How many people can be included in an extended family photoshoot?
Extended family sessions can include grandparents, adult children, partners and grandchildren. Once we’re photographing more than seven people, I generally allow around 1.5 hours so we have plenty of time for the large group photograph and all the smaller family combinations without rushing.
What photographs do you take during an extended family session?
We’ll plan your must-have photographs beforehand. These usually include the entire family, grandparents with grandchildren, grandparents with their adult children, individual families, siblings and cousins. Once those are done, there’s plenty of room for extra combinations and more relaxed photographs.
Where is the best place for extended family photos in Perth?
It depends entirely on your family. When choosing a location, I consider the ages of the children, grandparents’ mobility, parking, walking distances and access to toilets — not just which location looks the prettiest.
You can also have a look through my favourite family photography locations in Perth for ideas.
What should we wear for an extended family photoshoot?
Choose a small colour palette rather than trying to make everyone match. Three complementary colours gives each family enough freedom to choose something they feel comfortable in while still making the whole group look cohesive.
For more help, read my What to Wear for Family Photos in Perth guide.
What if we have toddlers or young children in the family?
That’s completely fine. I recommend choosing a session time and season that works with the youngest children rather than expecting them to fit around the adults. During the session they aren’t expected to stand still or be photographed for the entire time
either.
Getting Everyone Together Is Worth It
Organising an extended family photoshoot can feel like a military operation. There are schedules to coordinate, outfits to organise, toddlers to consider and inevitably one person who still hasn’t replied to the family group chat.
But once everyone is there, it’s worth it.
These aren’t just photographs of what your family looks like right now. They’re photographs of grandparents surrounded by their grandchildren, cousins growing up together and all the people who make up your family actually being in one photograph for once.
If you’ve been talking about getting everyone together for family photos for years, perhaps this is the year you actually do it.
You can learn more about my family photography sessions in Perth here, or get in touch with me and we can start planning your extended family session.
